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Fort Leonard Wood servicemembers attend Military Salute Day

Thirty-two Navy Seabees from Fort Leonard Wood traveled to Columbia College in Columbia, Mo. on Saturday, Jan. 24 to see a pair of Cougar basketball games as part of the athletic department's Military Salute Day. The Seabees are the Construction Battalions (CBs) of the United States Navy. They have a history of building bases, bulldozing and paving thousands of miles of roadway and airstrips and accomplishing myriad other construction projects dating back to World War II.

The servicemembers were driven from Fort Leonard Wood to Columbia by white limousine buses and were treated to a reception and lunch as well as given a game ball by the members of the basketball teams.

“With everything the members of our armed forces do for us, for all the sacrifices they make, I’m very proud that Columbia College did something like this to show our appreciation,” said Dr. David L. King, director of the Columbia College campus at Fort Leonard Wood. “The college was a very gracious host and all the service members enjoyed the festivities. We look forward to making this day an annual event. We’re really indebted to Lou Cruz, a member of the Education Services Officer’s staff at the Truman Education Center. She did the lion's share of the work in coordinating with the military base to get these service members lined up for the trip.”

Columbia College has had a campus at Fort Leonard Wood for more than 30 years and continues to serve working adults and military students in the area.